A/N: Don't own Avengers/Marvel anything.
As far as story goes I forgot to mention that I completely am ignoring the end of Age of ultron lol. Sue me =P
Thanks to all who read! I think Tony is insanely out of character, I expected him to be easy to write but he's almost the hardest!
Any feedback would be awesome! Not sure if I'm hitting any good marks here =o
Nap Time Chapter 2
Quicksilver opened his mouth to respond before he stopped short, his jaw snapping shut with an audible click.
"Just go." He said as he took a steadying breath and turned to begin his walk dismissively.
Irritation rose in Tony as he watched the teen shake his head in anger and walk away from him, "Don't walk away. Hey! What's your problem?!" He shouted. Nothing, he was completely ignoring him. 'Uhhhggg! What the hell?'
Tony threw his faceplate up and was just about to jet over and smack the kid upside the head when he noticed the fact that Pietro was walking at a snail's pace while literally was gasping every breath.
'Okay Tony, obviously something is wrong and you need to calm down. Freaking out on him isn't going to get anywhere and the kid looks like he's starting to fade quickly.' Taking a calming breath Tony settled on catching up to the weary Russian and walking next to him silently.
Pietro might be stubborn, but Tony was the king of stubbornness, he'd basically patented it. Either the kid would snap and talk to him, or he would pass out and Tony would drag him back to the Jet if he had to. Either way Tony would win.
It only took about 3 minutes of Pietro basically dragging himself down the street with Tony silently following him a few feet behind before Quicksilver stumbled into the brick building they were passing and Tony had to reach out and catch the kid's bicep before his head had a nasty introduction to the brick.
Pietro reacted by trying to slap Tony's metal hand away before his legs gave out. Without Tony's support he slammed into the wall, sliding down until he was sitting with his back against it, his head dropped to his knees while his whole body trembled between gasps.
Instead of annoyed Tony felt worried as he removed his helmet and crouched next to the teen, not an easy feat while in the armor. Up close the kid was pale,
"Feck..." Gasp "Off..." Gasp "Stark."
Tony sighed again, why was he suddenly so angry at him? They'd been working rift now for almost two months! He'd been distant, cold even at some times, but never so openly hostile. "Pietro, I know we're not buddies but if you're injured I need to let everyone know."
There was a pause before he answered, raising his head a fraction, his eyes seems almost glazed over but at least he was getting some color back. When he spoke it quiet and without as much malice as their other interactions, yet it still dismissive and angry. "Never caught my breath from the last time, don't call m'fine. Go."
Softening at the sagging teen Tony tried to catch his eye but Pietro tucked it back into the crook of his elbow.
"Just because you said that without pausing for living giving breath doesn't mean you're alright. Look at you." Tony said. "And your attitude speaks volumes right now Mr. Temper Tantrum."
The blonde didn't raise head his this time as he responded. "S'not a...whatever was you said...Still don't like you. Usually better at hidin' it. 'M missin Wanda..."
Finally, there it was, minus the usual attitude. So he still didn't like him and was missing his sister. There had to be more to it than just that, he and Pietro had been on over twenty missions together. He'd always been distant, maybe even cold to Tony, but never so openly antagonistic.
"Don't you trust me by now kid?" Tony asked quietly, a little butt hurt by the statement.
"No…" Pietro answered and after a long pause Tony was about to respond when Pietro continued. His breathing had evened out finally, but his voice was tired and muffled by his elbow.
"No...trust you to save people...trust you to help the team...just don't trust you...to.."
'Ok, what the hell? Doesn't trust me to save Wanda?' Tony thought before responding.
"To what? Common man we've been through so much now! I've saved you, you've saved me, You should know by now, I'm one of the good guys. Even Wanda has warmed up to me, hell we played rumy for a few hours the other week!"
"Pfft, yea...she is a kind, forgivin' soul 'nlike me...m'...tainted...only see bad...can't forget."
"So what is it then?" Tony prodded again.
"You were 'spose to be...bad guy. Was 'spose to be revenge...not though...don't trust it."
'Ah ok, now I get it...Poor kid..I was suppose to be the end of that hellish nightmare. But I'm not the warmonger they thought and hoped I'd be, so there is no end. No revenge, just a faceless, unknown villain to haunt their dreams.' Tony thought sadly as he watched the blonde. 'It's easier to wait for me to hurt them than to trust me.'
"Ahh kid…" Pietro didn't acknowledge Tony's words aside from burying his face deeper as his body seemed to sag into the brick.
"Look Pietro," Tony said as he decided to step out of the armour and send it to the Jet to complete the repairs quicker, the area was clear and this was not a conversation that he needed the suit for. Now free he turned back to the teen and crouched next to his huddled form.
"Look, I felt the same way about Steve as you do about me." Pietro lifted his head enough for his blue eyes to catch Tony's hazel.
"He pulled my father away from his family, broke his heart basically when he was lost. I blamed Steve for every ounce of my father's drinking, anger, distrust and lack of affection. I expected him to be a pompous ass, all smiles for the ladies and nothing else. Just a fucking showoff with no actual regard for others."
Pietro's eyes widened at the confession, Tony and Steve were actually really great friends now and could be easily found watching movies, working on Steve's bike or in Tony's lab with Steve sketching and Tony working in silent companionship.
Tony nodded and placed a hand on teen's knee only to have him weakly shake it off, only to have Tony huff in annoyance and replace it.
"You know what though? One morning I had been working and hadn't slept in days, I came into the kitchen and didn't even notice Steve was there until he handed me a cup of coffee, made exactly how I like it, with that stupid toothpaste commercial smile."
Tony saw the muscle in the teen's face move and Tony knew atleast a small smirk had blossomed there.
"He asked me about my project, I rambled for hours and he let me, and honestly I forgot I was suppose to be hating him. When I walked away it took me about halfway down the elevator to my lab when I realized it. And you know what? It felt bad, but in a different...guilty way. Like I had betrayed myself by actually liking him instead of loathing."
Pietro turned his head and hid his face, unable to hold Tony's gaze any longer as his eyes brimmed.
Unperturbed Tony continued."But then I asked myself, what had I achieved by holding him at arm's length? I got a false sense of satisfaction and sense of control. But in the interim I hurt the team, I hurt him and I hurt myself. So please Pietro...Let me actually fuck up before you hate me. Just give me a chance Motormouth."
Pietro huffed and rubbed his face roughly against his bicep weakly.
After about 2 minutes of silence filled with the occasional sniff that Tony chose to ignore, Pietro spoke and Tony had to strain to hear him.
"Fine…you're right. I'll try…" He admitted quietly.
"That's all I ask, I might mess up, you might but we'll keep trying and who knows, maybe we'll be buds."
Tony waited for Pietro to retort but was met by a length of silence, only filled by the youth's breathing which was a little harsher than Tony's.
Pietro was however losing battle with exhaustion and was too tired to notice he was drifted until he realized started at the weight of Tony's hand suddenly on his shoulder. Pietro stained to focus on the words the other man spoke as they floated around him. Translating English to Russian in his head had suddenly become terribly difficult.
"...carry?" He managed to catch and repeat in a confused mumble.
"Yeah." Tony repeated "Let me carry you, the guys said they're gonna be a little bit still and we could just walk over there before they get here."
'Ohhh offering to carry me, got it. No way.'
Shrugs off hand and Pietro scoffed at the idea, "N'gonna happen" he said, barely audible.
He felt Tony's hand on his shoulder again, still talking to him Pietro tried to ignore the man.
What were they doing again?...Waiting for the others or something? Why wouldn't Tony just let him sleep?
"Nnnnnn stop Tony, stop shk'n meeee." He mumbled irritated to Tony who was unrelentingly and gently shaking him while talking in his ear. In his exhausted, drifting mind after what felt like hours Pietro finally buckled and gave in, willing to do anything to get Tony to stop and let him sleep!
Stubbornness and irritation gave him a burst strength to get to his feet in an unstable flash where he stood, albeit staggeringly, and motioned at Tony with his hand in a slopper circle gesture.
Tony's eyebrows shot up "What?"
Pietro looked exasperated and motioned again, this time the gesture was clearer and Tony realized it meant for him to turn around and crouch so that Pietro could climb on.
Rolling his eyes for effect Tony did so and Pietro sighed before gingerly holding onto his back as Tony stood up and adjusted his weight.
although the kid was a little bit taller and muscular, it was lean muscle and he didn't weigh as much as Tony thought he would've or even should've weighed.
Once they were both comfortable Pietro dropped his head onto Tony's shoulder and gasped his own wrist weakly.
"We look ridiculous." Tony said grinning fondly. he heard a muffled "You ask'd f'r it."
"I did...thank you for letting me. Now let's go, if anyone asked I'll tell them I knocked you out because you kept talking back."
Instead of the hot retort he expected from the Russian the only thing he heard were small puffs of breath from the teen as he dozed, having fallen asleep almost instantly.
"Of course, just don't drool on me kid."
About 20 minutes later Tony rounded the block and came upon the others and the Jet. Everyone looked tired but nothing worse than when he'd left. He could see his Suit with JARVIS at the helm had almost completed the repairs.
As he met the team's faces he was greeted with an array of confused looks ranging from amused to concerned.
Tony simply grinned and brushed passed Hawkeye to climb into the awaiting Jet before anyone could shake off the shock of seeing them close, let alone Tony giving Pietro a piggy back ride. He paused as the Steve asked if Pietro was injured. Tony shook his head quickly and said "He was tired from running around and being a brat so I made him take his Nap Time."
end
Thanks again! R&R Please!